The LSC-Victory Center, an 85,000 square foot facility now in the early stages of construction and expected to open in fall 2011, will expand the higher education options and increase accessibility to the Northwest Houston neighborhoods of Acres Homes and Inwood Forest. An official groundbreaking ceremony will be held Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the new center, being built in the southern portion of the LSC-North Harris service area.

Located on a 17-acre site at the corner of South Victory and Vogel, the LSC-Victory center will replace LSC-Carver Center and be home to workforce and academic preparation, academic transfer, economic and community development, and a focal point for citizenship training and community events.

Additionally, Victory Early College, a partnership between Aldine ISD and LSC-North Harris that provides students with the opportunity to pursue a high school diploma and simultaneously earn college credit, will also relocate to the new center upon completion.

“LSC-Victory Center is among the most anticipated projects being undertaken thanks to the bond approved in 2008,” said Dr. Stephen Head, president of LSC-North Harris. “With enrollment at LSC-North Harris up 37 percent in the last two years, classroom space is a critical need. Not only are we adding much needed square footage, we are making it convenient to a growing, but underserved, community where only limited higher education options previously existed.”

The state-of-the-art facility will feature multiple classrooms, a welding lab, HVAC lab, sheet metal lab, construction lab and learning center. It will include space for faculty and staff offices, Small Business Development Center services and, of course, student services such as advising, financial aid, and admissions.

LSC-Victory Center, which is the first major construction project in an area seeking revitalization, has already been recognized for the potential impact it can have on Houston’s workforce. In June, Lone Star College System announced that it had received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to help build the LSC-Victory Center and establish a vocational training center designed to provide workers with the critical skills needed to compete for higher-skill, living-wage job opportunities.

Even though classes at the center will not start until 2011, the construction of the center is already benefiting the area. Local firms Archi Technics/3 and Perspectiva were selected to design the new facility, while Houston-based Durotech General Contractors Inc., were chosen to oversee the construction. The entire project is 100 percent locally designed and contracted and is committed to making sure that 40 percent of the construction work is comprised of Historically Underutilized Businesses.

“LSC-Victory Center really showcases the many opportunities that Lone Star College System has available to the community. From helping high school students get a head start, to critical job training and community development, to creating an affordable path to a degree, this new center will have all of the offerings that make up the core of the community college mission,” added Head.

Lone Star College-North Harris is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, one-half mile south of FM 1960 East, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. For more information about the college, call 281.618.5400or visit LoneStar.edu/NorthHarris.

With more than 69,000 students in credit classes for fall 2010, and a total enrollment of more than 85,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Park, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.